1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering apparatus with a fixed pad wherein the fixed pad provided at the rotational center of a steering operation portion is held in a stationary state when the steering operating portion is operated.
2.Description of the Related Art
Among vehicles, there is a type of vehicle wherein a pad provided, with switches, a display and the like is disposed at the rotational center of a steering operation portion (steering wheel). In this arrangement, if the pad rotates integrally with the steering operation portion when the steering operation portion is operated, the operating efficiency of the switches would decline, and the image on the display would be inclined. Accordingly, a proposal has been made to provide a fixed pad which is adapted to rotate relative to the steering operation portion so as to be held in a stationary state at a predetermined position (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 231849/1987).
Hence, the fixed pad functions as a fixed operation panel, and the operating efficiency of the switches operated by the occupant is improved.
However, the steering operation portion is fixed to a steering shaft via a wheel stay, and the wheel stay is constituted by a plurality of spokes to improve the visibility of an instrument panel. As a result, when the steering operation portion is operated, there are cases where the rear side of the fixed pad (located more closely to the occupant than the spokes) corresponds with the spoke and where it does not, so that it is conceivable that a foreign object may be caught between them. Hence, in a case where a force exceeding a predetermined level is exerted on the fixed pad, the fixed pad is rotatively operated in the same direction as the rotating direction of the steering operation portion, thereby overcoming the aforementioned drawback (refer to Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Nos. 58566/1985 and 111748/1985).
With this arrangement, however, since electrical parts such as switches are provided on the fixed pad, it is necessary to provide a structure which will be able to maintain a state of wiring with respect to the chassis side even when the fixed pad is rotated. This results in an increased number of parts used, and since the apparatus becomes complicated, the assembling efficiency declines.
Therefore, an arrangement has been conceived in which an outer periphery of the fixed pad is covered with a guide member which rotates integrally with the steering operation portion, and a boundary portion of relative rotation is set on the side of the apparatus facing the occupant. With this structure, however, the size of the fixed pad is restricted, and especially in a vehicle provided with an air bag mechanism there is a drawback in that the bag, which is inflated at the time of a sudden deceleration of the vehicle and is interposed between the steering apparatus and the occupant, cannot be accommodated in the fixed bag.